[Flashback]A meeting by moon light (Luke Lammergeier)

[Fiera]

Time stamp: 75 Autumn 508 AV Every muscle in her body trembling, Fiera rose to her paws. She had been lying on her bedroll for almost three days, moving only to eat and relieve herself. Fiera was waiting for her physical condition to return to normal after the three week long journey across Taldera. She was both exhausted and saddle-sore. Fiera grasped a small bundle of clothes in her jaw and exited the tent. If she was to run into humans, which was quite unlikely but still a possibility, they would be affronted to see her unclothed. She had made up her mind. There was no way Fiera could have laid weakly on her bedroll for much longer than she already had. The boredom, even in comparison with her aching muscles, was excruciating. The cougar lifted her head to the sky. Directly above, the full moon shone brightly. Even humans, with their generally appalling night vision, would be able to see well enough with such a bright moon, she thought. Gritting her jaw and flattening her ears against her skull, Fiera lengthened her stride. Pain was a sensation, nothing more. Soon enough she was bounding ungainly down a track that lead away from Syliras, watching the path carefully so as not to trip or stumble. If she fell, there was a possibility that Fiera would never find the will power to rise again. Or so it seemed to her at that moment. Fiera knew not where this path lead, but she was determined to find out. With each step, she felt herself about to collapse, but, as always, Fiera did not. The indistinct whisper of a brook drove her onwards and within a few minutes she came to a large, round spring. A light mist floated above the water, leaving small droplets of moisture on Fiera's dappled fur. The light breeze brushed through the trees surrounding the area and a natural bridge above the hot spring cast cold shadows on the water. A warm, earthly smell drifted up into her lungs. It all felt quite supernatural. The cat inside her cringed at the water but the hot spring was exactly what Fiera needed. She did not bother checking whether or not the area was deserted of not but transformed into her human form. Fiera took her bundle from where she had dropped it, which so happened to be the base of a young tree, and extracted a single cotton shift. Slipping it on, she dipped a foot into the water. Releasing a cat-like purr of pleasure, she splashed deeper into the hot spring. Closing her eyes, Fiera let her head sink underwater with the rest of her body. It felt amazing. Her lungs burning with lack of oxygen, she surfaced.

[Luke Lammergeier]

For obvious reasons Luke had to stay away from Syliras. The hot springs where often frequented by Knights but they where much more lax about the travelers staying there. His tent was behind the tree line. Away from prying eyes. But close enough to hear everything that went on. Or anything coming down the path. Of course that only applied to horses or groups of people laughing and giggling, about the fun they where about to have at the springs. Not cougars with their silent paws and quiet breaths. Luckily for Luke. He had been kept up with a bout of sickness. His dreams often woke him in the middle of the night. terrible nightmares of his old life. This time his stomach couldn't handle it. And he was forced to run into the bushes. Their faces were seared into his mind. Their deaths playing over and over as he threw up. There was blood along his arms. But it wasn't real, it never was. It was just his dreams. Hallucinations, Nothing more than symptoms of his guilt and stress. He still scrubbed his arms raw with dirt. Trying to get the blood off. Coming to Sylira was a mistake. He had to get back to Sunberth before the memories tore him apart. A bright flash of light brought him back to reality. Splashing sounds were coming from the spring. Someone was here. In the middle of the night. The happy bathing Kelvic was a sharp contrast compared to Luke. With vomit and dirt littering his body. He quietly crawled to the cliff's edge overlooking the spring. She looked like she was having fun. Enjoying a midnight dip. Luke remembered having fun. Back when he was with his brothers. The dreams weren't so bad when they where around. He needed company. Luke scampered back to his tent. Quickly grabbing his bow and a bottle of ale. Even so close to the city. You could never be sure what kind of monsters would come up. And to have fun you needed ale. Libations where the key to any first meeting. "How goes the night M'lady!" Luke shouted. Breathless from the journey down to the Springs. He rushed a bit more than he should of. Not wanting to let her get away. "Sorry to bother you. You seemed like you where having fun." He looked down at his dirty breeches and vomit stained chest. He didn't bother putting on a shirt in the rush. "Besides I need a bath. Mind if I joined you?" Gods above don't deny me a little fun. He quietly prayed.

[Fiera]

As she surfaced, Fiera sensed someone approaching from the opposite side of the spring; loudly trampling through the bushes in what seemed like a hurried fashion. Her lip curled as she prepared to slide back into her less vulnerable form at the slightest notice; the three lonesome weeks of travelling had left her wary of anybody who might wish her ill. As the steps came nearer, Fiera recognised them of the footfalls of a man; they were much heavier and the time between them longer than if it had been a woman. She had had no real encounters with men before and in her mind, Fiera feared them for the unknown. Her outward appearance certainly betrayed that now; she had yet to get over her fear of the new and out of ordinary things. The man appeared. Fiera sunk lower into the water so that only her head was visible; leaving the water to protect her from any wrath the man might send her way. He was tall, thick and blunt in appearance but carried a bow. She had no better weapon than her claws, but in a ranged attack, they would serve Fiera no purpose. Yet the man seemed neither angry nor wrathful and instead, called out a friendly greeting. Fiera did not soften. This could easily be a hoax. Kelvics made the best of slaves, or so she had heard. But her feline nature and race seemed to conflict quite a lot. Fiera was more free willed than most of her race. She couldn’t ignore the man’s stained chest and filthy breeches, or the bottle of ale in his hand. He was not alright. There was something haunting him. And yet she felt drawn to him, curious to learn what was troubling his soul. Without dropping her scowl, she replied to him. “I can see that you require a bath. And I have no right to deny you your needs or your wishes. You can speak freely to me, for I see you are troubled. We will not meet again after this night has finished – that I can promise you” she spoke elegantly, although she was still keeping a cautious demeanour. His blue eyes looked almost silver in the moonlight and as they made eye contact, Fiera blinked slowly, wondering if they hid any secrets.

[Luke Lammergeier]

"Even better!" He laughed and put down his things. He was unusually lucky for finding some company tonight. But on top of that she was straight to the point. He was liking her already. "I'm not interested in knowing you after tonight either. See, we fit like peas in a pod. Ale?" He handed her the bottle. Taking off the last bits of his clothing. He slowly lowered himself into the spring. He had been nursing a wound on his thigh. He received from some strange beast on his journey towards Syliras. He had heard about the soothing powers of the Sacred Arch Spring. But never had the chance to visit when he was hurt. The relief was instantaneous. Forcing a sigh of relief from his lips. "So, tell me a little about yourself. It seems strange for a pretty thing like you to be traveling out in the wild. Especially at night. With every beast in Syliras roaming about. Your not some Mage right?" Nothing scared and interested Luke as much as Magic. Most feared those who practiced it. He didn't have anything against the art. Just didn't trust them enough to be in such a vulnerable state around them.

[Fiera]

“Indeed we do,” Fiera agreed. The strange man laughed and offered her ale. Fiera had never before tasted it and, still hesitant, reached out to take the bottle. The liquid slid down her throat, sending a burning sensation through her body. Unknown to Fiera were the side effects of such a powerful drink, and soon she had drunk half of the remaining liquid. Fiera watched curiously as the man removed bits of clothing from his body, she stuck to her race’s beliefs about any state of nudity, instead of the humans. Dipping himself into the pool, the man turned the conversation towards Fiera and magic. She was not one to speak openly about her history, but the ale had loosened her tongue, “I am Fiera, born in Avanthal in the year 507 AV. I left home not long ago so that I could travel Mizahar, and here I am, in Syliras! I just crossed Taldera, you know, by myself. And that is why I came out here. I wanted to stretch my legs and so I just let my paws guide the way. I am not aware of any beasts roaming anywhere around here, and of course I am not a mage! I do like magic though, I want to travel to Zeltiva one day - I heard there was a university there that teaches all sorts of magic” Fiera seemed to suddenly become aware of her disjointed speech and lowered defences. She dropped the bottle into the water and backed away quickly from it. “What is in that drink you gave me?” she demanded, eyes widened with fright, “why do I feel like this?”

[Luke Lammergeier]

The woman took the bottle and downed it happily much to Luke's surprise. He never knew a woman to have such a thirst. But he didn't mind much he shouldn't be drinking anyways. It got his blood boiling and that was never good, especially around company. "Fiera, such a pretty name." He chimed, as she went on talking about her travels. Her story was a common one. Most young people felt the need to see the world. There where only a handful of cities left in Mizahar. And a limited population in each of them. If you didn't travel around you would loose your mind from boredom. But Little curiosities caught Luke's attention. How she kept repeating 'paws' instead of feet. And how she crossed Taldera alone... on foot. It was a death sentence to go anywhere in the wild alone. Even traveling in caravans had its own risks. And he saw no armor or weapons near by. In fact he hadn't seen her camp. Luke's was just beyond the tree line but he had reason to avoid prying eyes. What was hers? "Relax." He said, as she got scared and demanded to know what she was drinking. "It's just Ale Fiera. Haven't you had alcohol before?" Every race he knew of drank some form of alcohol. She definitely wasn't Human. "You shouldn't drink so much of something you don't know." He chuckled, wishing he still had his knife on him. He only had a bow at the edge of the spring. And it wouldn't be of much help with the girl so close. "Just take it easy and be careful. Its perfectly safe to drink, but it can make you a little dizzy. How about you relax and tell me a little more about who you are." And what. "What made you choose Syliras? Any friends down here?"

[Fiera]

Fiera noticed the man comment on her name. She shivered. This human seemed to know so much about her, and she, so little about him. It frightened her. Perhaps she should leave now, before it was too late? No. There was something intriguing about this man, and, if he had indeed poisoned the drink, she would have her revenge on him. Fiera swayed in a bout of nausea, her nebulous thoughts seemed to bounce around painfully in her head. With a shake of her head, she replied to the only question she had heard, “Nothing made me choose Syliras. It was a baseless decision.” Her short speech, although necessarily true, was cold and icy. Any traces of the friendly tone that she had used less than a minute ago had vanished. Fiera stood motionless, feeling her stomach churning violently; about to return its contents back through her mouth. The man watched her curiously. The kelvic turned and sprinted into the forest, not wishing to show her weakness to the human, lest he use it against her. She emerged, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth. Fiera was starting to feel much better. Perhaps in smaller amounts, this alcohol that he mentioned might actually be beneficial. Tired of being questioned, she took the role of questioner. “I refuse to tell you any more about myself until you answer my questions. I don’t even know your name, but you know my life story. It’s not fair, you see? So, what about you? Who are you? Why are you here, instead of on your bedroll? Are YOU are mage?” She intoned the questions with a smug smile.

[Luke Lammergeier]

Luke didn't want to laugh at the womans misfortune. So he settled for a suppressed chuckle. She came back to the spring, wiping her mouth. He would of told her, "thats why you don't drink anything that fast". But it didn't seem appropriate to rub it in her face. In response to her smug questions, he smiled and said. "Smart. Never want to let others know more about you, than you about them. My name is Lucas." He held out his hand for her to shake. Or let him lead her back in the spring. "We can exchange our stories, but get back into the spring. Or you'll freeze to death. And what you just threw up, is called Ale and your supposed to drink it slow. It's much better in small doses. Get used to it. It helps warm your belly." When and if she went back into the hot spring. He continued. "As I said, my name is Lucas. I'm not a mage, and my bedroll is back behind the trees. A trick I learned to keep out of sight. I'm on my way to Syliras. To," It was sad how easily the alibis came. It used to take a bit of thinking, but now he was well versed in the art of lying. "deliver a message." "That settles the issue of my bed, my destination and my reason for being here. As well as my name. Is there anything else you desire before we continue our story exchange?" Maybe then she can explain why she is hardly afraid. A strange man is with her alone in the wilderness and she is ballsier than most Brigands.

[Fiera]

Ignoring his hand, Fiera circled the spring and entered it on the opposite side from Lucas. She did not mean it as an insult, but rather for self-protection. She listened as he countered her questions, “to deliver a message? How vague.” Still, she let it slide. There was no point in details, he meant nothing to her and they would not meet again. The heat of the water was soothing after her short trip into the forest, where the air was icy cold. When Lucas suggested exchanging stories, Fiera almost laughed. What a monologue that would be; she doubted that he would supply her with anything about his enigmatic life story. And so, she played it safe by asking the question she had wanted to ask someone since leaving her birthplace. “Well yes – now that I am not in the immediate danger of being frozen – where exactly are we? And I don’t mean what city. I mean where is Mizahar? Do you think there is anything beyond it?” She did not consciously attempt to con the man into a more intellectual discussion. Her question was one that had troubled her from before she could hunt. Fiera did admit to herself, though, that she was pushing her luck in thinking that Lucas could answer her question.

[Luke Lammergeier]

"Oh Mizahar?" He said with a bit of a laugh. "It is just a few miles south of here. I can take you if you want." She was a Kelvic. How could he have missed the sighs!? Sunberth and Rovak were crawling with them. They were said to make the best slaves. Created for servitude before the Valterrain. At least they fetched the greatest price in the markets. This was all second hand knowledge from when he traded in Sunberth with Kain and his men. Fortunately Kain had never taken an interest in slavery. And for that he was eternally grateful. Now that he knew she was a Kelvic, (Because no Human wouldn't know the land they are walking on, clearly indicating she was wild.) what should he do? She didn't look dangerous, but it was her animal form he was worried about. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. A smile kept tickling the corner of his lips. Parts of him were afraid, yes. But he also couldn't resist a good natured laugh at anothers expense, despite the circumstances. "It's just a bit funny, someone asking where Mizahar is. It's the name of the land we are on. From Avanthal to Eyktol. Your not from here are you?" He wanted to give her room to answer how she liked. If she was trying to hide the fact she was a Kelvic. Him pressing could turn her against him. Better to give her space and talk when she wanted. Little did Luke or Fiera know. Miles off and deep below the ground, Djed was stirring in dangerous ways. This occurred long before either of them met. While Luke was tossing and turning and Fiera was still on the road. Yukman were sprouting from the ground. Creatures of soil and magic, born by Mizahar itself. By the time Luke and Fiera were splashing about, laughing. The Yukman were already spilling out in all directions. Seeking out the most basic instinct. Territory.